Remembering the March 1st Memorandum...

News: 12punto.com.tr

Today marks the 22nd anniversary of the rejection of the March 1st Memorandum...

The memorandum, which included requests for the US to station troops in southeastern provinces, establish military bases in various provinces, and deploy soldiers for an attack on Iraq, was rejected in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM).

The rejection of the March 1st Memorandum caused great disappointment for the US side. The US had stated, "We did not see the leadership we expected from the Turkish army." It subsequently led to a major crisis in Turkish-American relations.

Unable to move its ground forces into Iraq from the north, the US attacked and invaded Iraq on March 20, 2003. On May 1, 2003, then-US President George W. Bush announced that the Iraq War was over...

WHAT DID THE MARCH 1ST MEMORANDUM COVER?

Kemal Anadol, who served as the CHP Group Deputy Chairman during the historic March 1st session in Parliament, shares the following information regarding the content of the memorandum:

The US planned to use Turkish territory to move the 4th Infantry Division into Iraq through the Habur Border Gate. They wanted to use airports in Afyonkarahisar, Adana, Batman, Çorlu, Diyarbakır, Malatya, Erzurum, İncirlik, Mardin, Muş, Gaziantep, and Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen.

In addition to this, they wanted to use Turkish airspace for warplanes and helicopters taking off from two ships in the Eastern Mediterranean. Furthermore, the ports of İskenderun, Mersin, İzmir, and Taşucu-Ağalar were among their demands. They were going to establish logistics support centers in Mardin, Midyat, and Silopi.

A total of 23,788 soldiers, covering three reinforced brigades, would enter Iraq from Turkey, and 37,742 soldiers would be stationed in our country under the pretext of supporting this operation.

They also demanded criminal and legal immunity, as well as tax and customs exemptions, for the soldiers who would remain in Turkey.

Anadol lists the essence of the memorandum this way and adds: "It has never been seen that the US, which has established military bases in various countries around the world from Japan to Germany, has ever left those places again."

ABSOLUTE MAJORITY NOT ACHIEVED

On March 1, 2003, the memorandum came to the agenda of the TBMM. The session, chaired by Bülent Arınç, was held in secret.

In the vote, 264 votes in favor, 250 against, and 19 abstentions were cast. Since the absolute majority of 267, which is mandatory according to Article 96 of the Constitution and Article 267 of the internal regulations, could not be reached, the memorandum was not accepted.

A MAJOR CRISIS AVERTED

With the rejection of the March 1st Memorandum, which would have endangered our country's independence, in the TBMM through the efforts of the CHP and its then-Chairman Baykal, our country was saved from a major crisis.

News Source: Şenol Çarık